Muar speeds up approval process

Muar speeds up approval process

21/10/2009 NST By Chong Chee Seong

THE Muar Municipal Council has reduced the processing time for development plans to six months.

Council president Abdul Wahab Ridwan said it used to take many years to process the layout plan of a housing or industrial development project. He said some had even dragged on for more than ten years.

He said the problem arose because the plans had to go through 14 departments.

"Some developers abandoned their projects as they could not wait that long," he said after chairing a council meeting recently.

This problem has become a thing of the past, thanks to the creation of a one-stop centre which allows the council to notify developers whether their plans are approved or rejected within six months.

He said it had also eliminated the hardship faced by developers who had to go from department to department to keep track of the approval process.

This is because the one-stop centre which is linked to the 14 departments would examine their applications simultaneously.

Wahab said the council normally rejected applications which did not comply with the bylaws.

He said developers could resubmit fresh applications based on the necessary requirements as stipulated by the council.

Wahab said fast approval of development plans would raise investors' confidence, create job opportunities, speed up the town's progress and stabilise the country's economy.